


i want to be that guy

by DarlingHazel



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Post-Break Up, a bit of jealous billy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:33:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22491616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarlingHazel/pseuds/DarlingHazel
Summary: Nancy’s pretty, she’s beauty and she’s grace or whatever. She’s so graceful in the way she works, how she smiles and unsurprisingly got all the guys swooning over her after not long. And she has Steve.Billy wants to be that.ORBilly's jealous of Nancy, and thinks Steve could do better with him.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 4
Kudos: 196





	i want to be that guy

Nancy’s pretty, she’s beauty and she’s grace or whatever. She’s so graceful in the way she works, how she smiles and unsurprisingly got all the guys swooning over her after not long. And she has Steve.

Billy wants to be that.

He wants to be the guy who gets to ruffle Steve’s hair at the start of day or bury his face in it when they’re hugging, kiss him on the nose when they’re alone or just hold him without a worry in the world. But Nancy’s just always there. He thinks he can do better than her.

Infinitely.

And then the break up happens, and Billy’s all but pleased.

Steve strides into English the way he usually does, all eyes turning to the once-popular guy, almost mocking. It all works in Billy’s favor.

The brunette just goes on with the class, a permanent scowl on his face that isn’t all too new with school when not around Wheeler. Billy doesn’t mind, he can change that. He knows he can.

He remembers when Steve once asked him for a dance while they were drunk. Can still feel those big hands around his waist pulling him in, still see that smile. That smile that only came out with Nancy  _ sometimes. _ The smile Billy overheard him saying was only for her.

But he remembers damn well what Steve had said when they were alone that night. And if he didn’t know before, he knew for sure from then on Nancy wasn’t made for Harrington. Never will be.

_ “Billy, let’s dance,” Steve laughed, pulling the dirty blonde behind him up to the bigger part of the bedroom clumsily. _

_ His intoxicated hands carelessly roamed Billy’s shirt, trying to find his waist in the dark. Billy remained frozen still, a little alarmed by this. He didn’t think they’d end up this way, they were just supposed to have a little bit of time to themselves after Harrington had returned from a week-long trip. _

_ He didn't mind though, reaching down to hold Steve’s hands (it made his heart go a little wild while it lasted) and properly place them on his waist. Cutely, Steve smiled at him and the moonlight shone on him in the prettiest of ways. Ways Billy would never forget. _

_ Steve giggled once his hands found place, a sound that just made things feel so right even without the music. A sound that, actually, now that Billy thought about it,  _ was _ music. _

_ “You know, I’ve always wanted to do this,” Steve confesses as he begins swaying with Billy. _

_ It brings Billy’s jaw down a little, mouth parted in some surprise. He knew Nancy wasn’t ever the best girlfriend, Steve always pulled all the weight in the relationship and never stopped trying, but he’d seen them dance at a party once. He thought that Steve was joking for a moment, but when he looked up at that face with its relaxed and comfortable smile that fit so right, combined with those eyes lidded with love and trust… _

_ He knew he wasn’t alone then. _

_ And for the rest of that night, they swayed along drunkenly to no music, listening to each others breathing awkwardly until Steve got dizzy from the movement later on and they went to sleep early. Even though Billy slept in a guest room, he knew what he’d been suspecting was right. _

_ A smile was brought to his face, heat creeping up his neck as he replayed that memory over and over in his mind. He was smiling so wide it split his face in half, but he didn’t quite care for how stupid he looked because he was kind of stupidly in love anyways. _

“Billy?”

Steve’s voice cuts Billy out of his trance, voice wavering and uncertain. Billy looks up and realizes that everyone is leaving already. He’s happy though, that Steve’s still here with him now. Nobody really cares or comments on the two being buddies anymore, they got bored after the second try.

As normally as he can muster, Billy speaks, “We still going for practice today?”

The taller looks contemplative for a second, then shakes his head. Softly, “I want to hang out with you.”

It’s softer than the wind grazing Billy’s ears from the AC. It’s gentler than a feather, and as uncertain as Billy used to be about his own feelings in the past.

His heart clenches and he nods, standing up. He’s super fucking honored to be Steve’s number one choice. He can tell how hard Steve’s trying to keep things in, he needs someone.

And he chose Billy of all people.

“Where do you wanna go?” He asks, stretching.

Steve smiles slightly, Billy remembers he’s commented once that Billy stretches like a cat. “Maybe we can just cool off in your car for a bit?”

“I’m down,” Billy says as he grabs his book. They head off to the lockers just to shove their shit in there and take care of some passerby idiots, grateful that they’re both not too far from each other to be quick about it.

Finally, they’re in the car alone and isolated from the world. The way Steve wants to be.

They sit in silence for a little. Billy lights a cigarette, keeps both windows open for Steve’s sake and makes sure he’s not looking too busy for Steve’s attention. He wants Steve to talk to him. 

Said boy fidgets uncertainly in his seat besides Billy, looking around awkwardly. Anywhere but at people.

After a few minutes pass, and some of the cars surrounding them are leaving, Steve finally finds his voice.

“Nancy and I broke up,” he says flatly.

That’s progress.

“Yeah? I heard.”

A beat.

“How’re you?” Billy asks, realizing his response wasn’t the most inviting at all for the other. Steve relaxes at this and finally looks into his eyes.

“A little sad,” Steve answers truthfully. He shifts in his seat until he’s comfortably on his side, facing Billy fully. It makes Billy feel a little flustered, a little cornered, but he has to sit still and not make it obvious.

“I think she thought that I was lying,” Steve continues, rubbing his arm. “Like, like I didn’t love her.”

“That’s bullshit,” Billy says. He knows this, he knows Steve loved Nancy. He talked about her a lot, brightened when it came to her a lot, and he still had  _ the smile _ with her. Nancy was a fucking prude Steve was almost obsessed with.

But he also knows Steve had a little bit of love going to someone else along the way.

Someone that probably was more well-deserving of him.

“I know! But, but--” Steve groans, “I don’t know. Did I not show it? I’m so confused, dude. I don’t know what to think. I mean, I  _ do _ love her. I did love her.”

“Did?” Billy raises a brow. Forgets his cig for a moment.

“Well, I- I mean I think I loved her. She’s one of my closest friends, right next to you,” Billy ignores the sting he feels at those words. Steve continues, “But-- well, I think she didn’t love me. And-- I dunno. I did love her.”

_ Just not anymore. _

_ So something changed. _

Billy nods slowly, tossing his cigarette carelessly out the window and smiling at Steve. This earns a confused look, but he pays it no mind. He knows what has to happen, what Steve wants. He just has to hear it.

“Alright. So, say you did love her. What changed?” He asks.

Steve stays silent.

Billy smirks.

“I want to tell you something,” he continues, “But only if I know for sure.”

Putting the bait out. It’s up to Steve to take it or leave it, but he knows what’s gonna happen. Billy’s done it before, even if this is different, even if there’s a small doubt in the back of his mind, he  _ knows _ there’s something here. He knows Steve knows he’s better than that Wheeler slut.

“Know… what?” Steve asks. His tone is testing, nervous but fixed. He wants to be sure.

“Know what changed,” Billy said simply.

“Uh.”

He wants to be that guy. He wants to kiss Steve on the nose, hold him close to him, no alcohol involved. They already joke, they already stay up together. They can’t stop here, and Billy only wants to go further.

Maybe it’s selfish.

But he’s had a lot taken away from him, and he knows what he wants now. And whether the other kids like it or not, he gets what he wants.

And he knows Steve wants him back.

“I-- met someone. And…” Steve hesitates, looking away for a moment. His face gets redder. “And they’re so much funnier, and nicer, somehow, and… and they’re better for me, I think. And I think I fell for them. I might have liked them since…y’know, I met them, actually. Maybe.”

His words slur a little in a rush, but Billy catches onto every syllable with a nod. He just grins when Steve finally looks back up at him unsurely.

“Yeah?” Billy asks.

“Yeah.” Steve shifts uncomfortably.

Silence comes again, Billy taking his time to find the right words. Of course, he’s thought of this plenty of times before, ran over the possible outcomes countless times on restless nights. This was just… so right (minus Steve’s heart getting broken, that was uncalled for but necessary).

In reality, he’s taking his time because he wants to drag the moment out for as long as he can and finds it kind of funny to see Steve squirm. Also a little cute. And hot.

“I think they’re better for you too,” Billy finally says.

Steve’s eyes bulge in surprise, “You-- you know who they are?”

He laughs and nods, “I can take a guess. I think they like you too. And they’re infinitely better than Nancy.”

Out of all the words Billy could have picked, he definitely just fucked up and improvised it completely.

It’s fine, though, because Steve smiles at him so sweetly with crinkled eyes and ever-relaxing shoulders.

“Really?” Steve breathes. Still unsure.

“Yeah, really,” Billy echoes. They look into each other’s eyes for a moment, smiles present on either faces.

Billy knows this is right.

They cried together, they fought together, they laughed together, they built something together and it’s a sturdy ass building that nobody can demolish but them. Fuck that, not even  _ them. _ Because as much as Billy hated admitting it when it started, he fell  _ hard _ and judging by how bad Harrington was at hiding his feelings, he fell just as hard as well.

They made memories Nancy would never even bother to try and recall if they were hers.

All at once, Steve’s shoulders drop, his head slumps and he bites his bottom lip. His face gets redder and his eyes get glassy. Billy’s heart drops.

A tear falls and within a second Billy is completely out of his seat leaning over with his hands on Steve’s face, afraid he’s messed up.

“Shit, Steve, I’m sorry--”

“No… no, I mean-- like, you know?” Steve repeats shaken, tears just falling unshamefully. Billy keeps rubbing his cheeks, unafraid. They both are so close to each other. He doesn’t want to tip toe around it, he wants to make it fucking clear.

“I like you too, Steve.”

Well, he doesn’t say  _ love, _ but he’ll get there. He doesn’t care at this point how he is in comparison to Nancy, because all he cares about is Steve and if it’s true. If it’s as right as it feels.

With those simple words, Steve’s mask cracks and shatters, and he falls apart. He slumps into Billy’s arms sobbing, wrapping his arms tight around the other. “Oh my god,” he cries, in disbelief.

Billy’s heart is all too overwhelming for him, he’s so overwhelmed with love for this man but he has to push it aside because he just....

_ No. _

He loves Steve, and he’s not gonna push it away the way he used to. Because Steve needs this,  _ Billy _ needs this, and they both  _ want _ this. He won’t ever stop loving Steve.

_ Ever. _

“You like me,” Steve hiccups in his neck, and Billy ignores how wet his collarbone feels. He doesn’t care as much as he does for the man in his arms. Gently but firmly, he pulls Steve up and into his lap to put them in a more comfortable position.

It’s less cramped, and he has more room to hold as much of Steve as he can in his arms. That’s all he wants, to have as much of Steve with him. In him, maybe, but that’s for another day.

“I do,” Billy whispers, burying his face in Steve’s soft, soft hair.

The way he’s always wanted to.

And then he unwinds as well, finding his cheeks wet with weeks and months of holding everything back. His fingers tighten around Steve’s jacket while he silently cries among Steve’s louder one.

It’s kind of funny. Billy always kept to himself about his feelings, but Steve was so unfiltered when drunk, he was loose. It should’ve been obvious, and it was, but that doubt in the back of Billy’s mind…

Gone. It’s gone, because now he has everything he ever wanted in his arms. Away from the rest of the world, away from his dad and Nancy Wheeler and just.. it’s just Steve.

He smiles in Steve’s hair with fluttery feelings and tangles his fingers in Steve’s locks, rubbing his thumb on his scalp reassuringly.

“I love you,” Steve croaks, still shaking against Billy but oh so close, longing to be as close as possible even if it’s uncomfortable. He just wants their bodies to be pressed against each other, completely connected and unseparated. He can’t lose Billy.

It hit Billy with surprise, how easily Steve had said that, but he knows why it means so much to him.

Because he loved Nancy, but not the way he loves Billy. And he wants Billy to know that, and he’s loved Billy for a lot longer than Billy’s thought, and he’s so relieved to know that Billy actually loves him.

Actually fucking loves him the way he should be loved.

He knows that, he trusts that because he knows Billy.

And Billy can’t say the words quite yet, he’s not ready, but just as he always does, he shows it through his actions. Keeping Steve tight against him, uncaring of anybody who could see, shielding Steve with his arms from the rest of the world.

“I’m here now,” he whispers into Steve’s hair.

And Steve crumbles, because nobody was ever  _ here now. _ Because who ever was here, now? They all came and went, and left Steve. Tommy did, Carol did, Nancy did, even his own parents.

But Billy is here now.

And Billy has always been here.

“I love you,” Steve repeats, sobbing harder.

Billy gently raises Steve’s head from his neck with a loving palm. “I know,” he says. Because he knows how much Steve loves him, and he doesn’t have to prove himself, because Nancy wanted bullshit and Steve wasn’t bullshit. Billy knows this and Steve knows this.

And he leans in and presses a kiss on Steve’s nose, so raw and vulnerable and filled with love.

The way he’s always wanted.

**Author's Note:**

> :000 hope that's good!! thank you for readinG
> 
> tumblr is nancywrote!! (nothing quite yet, but i'm down for short prompts and stuff to help me out of my small writer's block atm!! harringrove mostly)


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